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How to be a donor detective

How to be a donor detective Searching for clues… After decades together, I learned my husband didn’t like pineapple. It was shocking, really, that I’d missed something like that. Do you feel like that about your donors, too? What clues might you have been missing? A successful fundraiser is a detective. The best retailers have created […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donors Tagged With: donor behavior, donor care, donor emotions 11 Comments

Why I still believe in mushy fundraising

Is donor-centricity a crock? Why I like mushy fundraising. There was an interesting discussion at The Agitator last month. (I think it began with Who Gets Fired? but I can’t promise I’m right. The conversation continued over days because it was important.) It raised a question: who’s to blame for lousy fundraising? Development staff, executive directors, […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donors Tagged With: donor focus, donor love, donor-centric, emotional fundraising 1 Comment

3 Mistakes Nonprofits Make When Approaching Major Gift Prospects

This week’s post by Bill Tedesco comes to us thanks to DonorSearch Are you making the most of your major gift prospects? As you move forward with major giving, ensure that you’re developing a thorough and thought-out approach to finding new donors. A portion of thinking through the process from start to finish should involve […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donors Tagged With: donor cultivation, major gifts, prospect research 2 Comments

Do you want to raise more money? Value relationships

Do you want to raise more money? Value relationships Can you put donors first AND raise more money? Yes. And in their book, It’s Not Just About The Money, Richard Perry and Jeff Schreifels – Veritus Group – show you how. I’ve admired their Passionate Giving blog for years now. They’re generous with advice and information. And […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donors Tagged With: donor relationships, fundraising programs, major gifts 3 Comments

How to be heard in a noisy world

We live in a noisy world. So what does your attention cost? I was reading an article in Sunday’s New York Times about the cost of our attention. The author’s point was that in today’s noisy world, our attention – our mind-space – has become commodified. Ads at the checkout line, logos in every possible space – […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications, Donors Tagged With: attention span, donor-focused, storytelling Leave a Comment

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